-RBA
*Minnesota
*Minnesota Statewide
*April 30, 1997
*MNST9804.30

-Birds mentioned

• American Bittern
• Snowy Egret
• Surf Scoter
• Northern Goshawk
• Virginia Rail
• Sora
• Greater Yellowlegs
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Willet
• Upland Sandpiper
• Hudsonian Godwit
• Marbled Godwit
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Least Sandpiper
• White-rumped Sandpiper
• Baird's Sandpiper
• Pectoral Sandpiper
• Long-billed Dowitcher
• Wilson's Phalarope
• Eurasian Collared-Dove
• Whip-poor-will
• Chimney Swift
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird
• Red-headed Woodpecker
• Eastern Wood-Pewee
• Purple Martin
• Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Palm Warbler
• Common Yellowthroat
• Western Tanager
• Northern Cardinal
• Le Conte's Sparrow
• Harris's Sparrow
• White-crowned Sparrow

Hotline: Minnesota Statewide
Date: April 30, 1997
Sponsor: Minnesota Ornithologists' Union (MOU)
Reports: (612) 780-8890
Compiler: Anthony Hertzel
Transcriber: Anthony Hertzel
Re-transcriber: David Cahlander (dac@skypoint.com)

This is the Minnesota statewide birding report for Thursday April 30th sponsored by the Minnesota Ornithologists' Union.

The EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE found in Big Stone County last Saturday, April 25th has not been seen since April 28th, though several people looked for it on the 29th. Directions are: In the Town of Ortonville at the Junction of State Highway 7 and U.S. Highway 12, go west on 12 for 1/2 mile. Turn south on Big Stone County Road 37 and go about one block. Look to the east along the narrow road for the stone bridge. The dove was feeding on spilled grain near here.

Also found in the Ortonville area were several species of shorebirds, including WILLET, plus UPLAND SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and SOLITARY SANDPIPERS. Betsy Beneke has found LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS along with MARBLED GODWITS, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER YELLOWLEGS at Hamden's Slough in Becker County. A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was seen on the 24th at Thielke Lake in Big Stone County. And on April 25th, Steve Weston reported a HUDSONIAN GODWIT south of the ball fields at the Minneapolis airport, just off of 66th Street in Richfield.

A WESTERN TANAGER is visiting the Becker County feeder of Peg & John Benedict who live on the northwest side of Monson Lake, just southwest of Detroit Lakes. This bird first showed up on April 27th and has been seen every day since then. Please call before visiting.

Two SNOWY EGRETS were reported on the 24th, one by Chet Meyers 1/2 mile north of the intersection of Lac Qui Parle County Roads 5 and 24. The other by Kim Risen at the north end of Lyseng Lake, which is three miles north and 3/4 of a mile east of the junction of Big Stone County Road 62 and U.S. Highway 75. Kim also found a SURF SCOTER on Big Stone Lake, about four miles northwest of Ortonville.

At the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in western Hennepin County, Kathy Heidel observed a NORTHERN GOSHAWK on April 25th; Peter Neubeck reported Minnesota's first WHIP-POOR-WILL of the season which he heard calling in his Minneapolis yard on April 28th; and Ken LaFond reports that EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES returned to Anoka County on April 21st.

In Becker County at Tamarac NWR, Betsy Beneke reports AMERICAN BITTERN, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and a NORTHERN CARDINAL, which is rare in this part of the state.

Other spring arrivals include SORA and VIRGINIA RAILS, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, PURPLE MARTIN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, CHIMNEY SWIFT, PALM WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER - reported first at Tamarac NWR - WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, and HARRIS'S SPARROW,

Mary Hood heard a LE CONTE'S SPARROW on April 27th on the southwest side of Medicine Lake in Hennepin County.

Thanks to Forest Strnad, Oscar Johnson, Holly Peirson, Patrick Clemens and Julie Brophy for their concise and detailed reports.

The next scheduled update of this tape is Thursday May 7th.

Return to Home Page